REEL STORIES

from Eastern Living September 2019

VIEWS FROM OUR 12

Iremember getting up before daylight excited about the day that was before me. I was at my Grandparents house and I was going to go fishing with my granddaddy, who was by all rights my hero when it came to anything outdoors. My father, who is a great man in his own right, will be the first to tell you I learned nothing about fishing from him.

When I was awake enough to make it to the dining room table, I could smell the pipe tobacco from granddaddy’s pipe and the bacon cooking on the stove. My grandmother was up early because she knew a good breakfast for the boys would end up in a good dinner for the rest of the family.

We sat at the table as I listened to my fishing partner tell me how the spot should be running as well as the croaker, and we may even have a chance at a bluefish if a school comes by.

My grandparents lived in Jacksonville and we would visit frequently during the summer months. My favorite thing was to go fishing at the pier with my grandfather.

When we got to the pier, I was always surprised at how many people would be up that early in the morning. The person behind the counter called my grandfather by name, then said hello to the young fella that was me. We paid our way onto the

Emerald Isle Fishing Pier and then went out to claim our spot.

You couldn’t have asked for a better beginning of the day than to watch the sunrise off the end of the pier, and even a young boy like me sat in awe of the spectacle that was upon us.

As we baited our bottom rigs with shrimp and squid, we cast our lines out and we hoped for the best.

It is hard to imagine the lack of patience I had great teachers who turned into idols by the time I was in college. Between my grandfather and my uncles I learned to fish for largemouth in the tidal rivers, smallmouth in the mountain streams and blues in the Chesapeake Bay.

a boy at the tender age of 8 can have, but my elder angling buddy did his best to keep me focused and keep my eye on the rod tip. It didn’t take long before I saw one rod start to twitch and my excitement grew in an instant.

I picked the rod up and set the hook, then began to reel frantically on the reel that was larger than my hand. In a minute my reward was a keeper spot, and before I could even get it off the hook I was instructed to grab the other rod and reel that fish in before we

lost it.

Once we got rebaited I had one rod in each hand, and anytime I would feel a strike I would say “OHOH” and my granddaddy would giggle, then watch me set the hook on another fish. By the time lunch had come around we had filled the cooler with

supper and I slept all the way back to the house.

These are the kind of memories I have

about fishing as a kid. I had great teachers who turned into idols by the time I was in college. Between my grandfather and my uncles I learned to fish for largemouth in the tidal rivers, smallmouth in the mountain streams and blues in the Chesapeake Bay.

I love to fish in our great state of North Carolina because we have the ability to fish for saltwater as well as freshwater fish, and with our rivers and sounds we can

sometimes fish for both at the same time.

Our great state has some of the most exciting fishing around and we are lucky enough to find it right in our own backyard.

In the following issues I am going to do my best to bring you some of the stories and tips I have learned while fishing – not only in our state, but in other destinations that you might want to visit and fish just in case you have a bucket list like me.

I will do my best to focus on local waters with news and information concerning the fishing in our area, and if you feel the need to contact me please feel free at fishingwithmike921@yahoo.com or hit me up on Facebook at Fishing with Mike.

I would love to see your fishing reports and, better yet, your bragging photos. Till then tight lines and be safe out there.

Mike Sweeney is a regular columnist for The Daily Advance in Elizabeth City and a new contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Marker ID:E-96 County: Edgecombe Original Date Cast: 1987-P

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JOSEPH BLOUNT CHESHIRE, JR. Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of N.C., 1893-1932; lawyer & writer. Birthplace is one block W.; grave 100 yards S.

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REFERENCES

William S. Powell, ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, I, pp. 362-365 – sketch by Jacquelin Drane Nash Lawrence F. London and Sarah M. Lemmon, eds., The Episcopal Church in North Carolina, 1701-1959 (1987) Lawrence F. London, Bishop Joseph Blount Cheshire: His Life and Work (1940) Gaines M. Foster, “Gentleman Prophet: Joseph Blount Cheshire Jr.” (M.A. thesis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1973) (Raleigh) News and Observer, December 28, 1932

Iwas born and brought up in Tarborough, Edgecombe County, North Carolina in a house built by my maternal grandfather, Theophilus Parker, in the year 1810.” So begins the opening sketch in Nonnulla, a collection of reminiscences by Joseph Blount Cheshire Jr. (1850-1932). Cheshire’s father was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1841. He moved to Tarboro and married Elizabeth Parker two years later. The elder Cheshire played a part in healing the breach between branches of the church in the North and South after the Civil War. The younger Cheshire was educated at Tarboro Male Academy and Trinity College in Connecticut. He taught in Maryland for two years, then returned to North Carolina to study law. Licensed in 1872, he practiced in Baltimore and Tarboro but forsook the profession to study theology. In 1878 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Thomas Atkinson and assigned to Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill. Two years later he was ordained into the priesthood and became rector of St. Peter’s Church in Charlotte, where he remained for twelve years. In June 1893 he was elected assistant bishop for the Diocese of North Carolina, and two months later assumed leadership of the diocese upon the death of Bishop Theodore B. Lyman. He thus became the first native of the state to serve in the post. Bishop Cheshire’s accomplishments were many during his long tenure. He strengthened the Episcopal missionary program in the mountain region. Upon his recommendation, the diocese acquired St. Mary’s School in Raleigh. He opposed segregation of the races within the church, but acquiesced when he judged that such was the desire of black churchmen. Throughout his life, Bishop Cheshire studied and wrote about the history of the Episcopal Church and of the state of North Carolina. In 1930 he served as president of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association. He gained a considerable reputation as a fisherman and hunter, especially of wild turkeys. Numerous honors and tributes were paid to him. Upon his death a writer for the News and Observer claimed that Bishop Cheshire “probably influenced the life of North Carolina as profoundly as anyone who ever lived within its borders.” He is buried in the graveyard at Tarboro’s Calvary Episcopal Church, where his father was rector for almost fifty years.

Thadd White

PARTING SHOTS

I grew up attending Ebenezer Assembly of tried to balance the congregations as best we God, which is located on N.C. 305 between could. We also wanted churches that were still Aulander and Windsor. active.

At my young age, I thought the church was One church, which was always on our list, ancient. was St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath. The

As I moved into my teenage years, and state’s oldest congregation, it is still vigorous found the church was built in the mid-1900s, and thriving today. Deborah Griffin’s story will I learned it was a fairly new congregation tell you about its storied past, and the current compared to many. lively group of believers. I was lucky

As we sat about choosing our enough to meet the Rev. Ben E.E. Kane themes for this year, we wanted at Howard Memorial one which focused on faith – and Presbyterian Church in Tarboro, and learn telling the stories of some of our the awesome history of that congregation. historic congregations fell in line Rudy Coggins with that. joins us again as he tells about the storied past of Our

In the 12-county region of Eastern North Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Carolina Living, we have churches established Rocky Mount. The congregation has a unique in the 1700s, and more than a few buildings history you’ll love learning about. which were erected in the 1800s. Sarah Hodges Stalls takes readers on a

As we sat about choosing our themes for journey through the history of Uniontown this year, we wanted one which focused on Church of Christ in Martin County. The faith – and telling the stories of some of our congregation calls themselves “legacy rich.” historic congregations fell in line with that. Another historic congregation is that of

We were not able to choose necessarily the Sandy Run Baptist Church in Roxobel. Leslie oldest congregation in each county due to our Beachboard will guide you through some of attempt to provide some history of as many the vast history of that congregation in a small denominations in our region as we could. town in western Bertie County.

There are certainly churches older in the Sandy Carawan’s historical account of communities than the ones we chose, but we Pleasant Grove Church of Christ tells the story 98

of the beautiful church in Hyde County.

In addition, Sarah Davis recounts the history of Pleasant Plains Missionary Baptist Church in Hertford County, where white pastors originally led a majority-black congregation.

Janet Cole Hopkins provides readers with information about some of North Carolina’s most historic congregations, including those in nearby Chowan County.

In addition, we have feature stories about the Aurora Fossil Museum, a replica of the Vietnam War Memorial, the Livermon Park & Mini Zoo and a beautiful arboretum in Nashville.

Our Biography feature this time focuses on the Rev. Richard Gurganus, who founded and pastors Church on the Rise, an Assembly of God congregation in Rocky Mount.

We will be back in November with one of our most unique magazines. We will be featuring things named after individuals including buildings, bridges, etc. We will tell you the story of the individual, and how the item became named in their honor.

Until next time, remember… all who wander are not lost. Continue joining us as we meander through Beaufort, Bertie, Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Tyrrell and Washington counties.

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living Magazine, the Bertie LedgerAdvance and the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald.